If you are curious about CMAHRO ...

The Conflict Management & Human Rights Office (CMAHRO) acts as a focal point and resource to all members of the university community (faculty, staff and students) regarding matters of harassment, discrimination, and other general forms of conflict.

In the area of Conflict Management, we are available to provide:

• support and advice to individuals dealing with conflict;
• guidance in preparing to have a difficult conversation;
• conflict coaching to individuals; or
• mediation to small groups.

In the area of Human Rights, we are available to:

• help you understand what your rights are and how they apply to specific situations;
• provide you with information about what options are available to you when dealing with human rights issues; or
• guide you through the process of responding informally or formally to a human rights issue.

The are many educational resources on our website including presentations on;

• General Human Rights,
• Supervisory Responsibilities,
• Harassment: What to do if It Happens to You, and
• UW Policy and the Ontario Human Rights Code.

When you arrange to meet with someone from our office the first thing we will do is listen. After listening to your concerns, our staff will share information about policy and resources available at the University of Waterloo. They will also discuss what options are available to address your concerns either formally or informally.

Often people are afraid that when they come to us, they will lose control of the situation. 

 It is important to understand that you only need to share with us the information that you feel comfortable sharing.  In fact, you don’t even need to tell us your name if you don’t want to.

We will explain what options and resources are available to you, but you get to decide what happens next.

At the end of your meeting we want to ensure that you:

• Have been heard and understood;
• Are aware of the policy on campus that is applicable to your concern;
• Are aware of different options available, both formal and informal;
• Are aware of the different services available at the Conflict Management and Human Rights Office;
• Are aware of other applicable resources on campus;
• Understand that the Conflict Management and Human Rights Office can provided direction regarding who would be responsible for addressing your complaint (department/faculty); and
• Are aware that we are available to meet with you as many times as necessary to accomplish the above.

Contact CMAHRO as soon as you feel like something is not right in your workplace, residence or learning environment. An early response increases the chance of addressing the issue in a way that minimizes relationship damage. 

You can call or email us.